Hansi Flick has done enough to convince Bayern Munich to make him its permanent head coach, with the club confirming on Friday he had signed a contract until 2023.
A former assistant to Germany coach Joachim Low, Flick steadied the ship in the wake of Niko Kovac's sacking and has gone on to gain the second-best points-per-game record in Bundesliga history at 2.47 – only Pep Guardiola's 2.52 is better.
Bayern has scored 67 goals in its 21 games in all competitions since he took the helm and was on a 15-game unbeaten run when the coronavirus outbreak brought the majority of football in Europe to a halt.
We take a look at the games that may well have convinced Flick's superiors to keep him in the top job for the next three years.
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November 9, 2019 - Bayern Munich 4-0 Borussia Dortmund
After overseeing a 2-0 Champions League win over Olympiacos in his first game at the helm, Flick's first taste of Bundesliga action came in Der Klassiker against Dortmund.
Despite the change of coach, Robert Lewandowski continued his fine scoring streak by taking his Bundesliga tally to 16 with a double – one goal either side of an effort from Serge Gnabry early in the second half.
An own goal from former Bayern defender Mats Hummels capped a resounding victory.
Lewandowski said: "Hansi Flick did a great job in just a few days to set us up tactically very well. The players believed directly in him and his words, he has breathed a new life into us."
During the international break that was followed it was confirmed Flick would stay on until at least Christmas.
December 11, 2019 – Bayern Munich 3-1 Tottenham
Flick went on to rack up four straight wins to start his tenure, but back-to-back defeats to Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach left Bayern seventh in the Bundesliga and seven points off top.
The club quickly got back on track with a 3-1 win over Tottenham in a Champions League group-stage clash at the Allianz Arena.
Kingsley Coman scored the opener but was forced off in the 27th minute with a knee injury that kept him out for two months.
Thomas Muller and Philippe Coutinho made sure of the win after Ryan Sessegnon's equaliser, with Lewandowski remaining an unused substitute as Bayern reached the last 16 with maximum points.
February 1, 2020 – Mainz 1-3 Bayern Munich
Bayern confirmed Flick would see out the campaign during the mid-season break and this victory over Mainz made it seven straight successes in all competitions.
The reigning Bundesliga champion effectively put the game to bed within 26 minutes – Lewandowski, Muller and Thiago Alcantara scoring during a rampant first-half showing.
Most importantly, though, it sent the Bavarian giant to the top of the table and there has been no moving them since.
February 25, 2020 – Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich
A last-16 tie with Chelsea in the Champions League looked sure to provide plenty of entertainment and the first leg at Stamford Bridge was tightly poised at half-time.
Gnabry struck twice in the space of three minutes early in the second half to break the game open and Lewandowski's instinctive finish in the closing stages ensured Bayern left west London with a healthy aggregate lead.
The result carried even more weight given that it was the first time the teams had met in Europe's premier club competition since Chelsea defeated Bayern in the final at the Allianz Arena in 2012.
February 29, 2020 – Hoffenheim 0-6 Bayern Munich
Lewandowski suffered a broken tibia in his left leg against Chelsea and was consequently ruled out for approximately one month.
The Poland international had scored 39 goals in 33 appearances in all competitions for Bayern in 2019-20, but his team-mates stepped up to the mark in their first game without him.
In a match that was overshadowed by demonstrations against Hoffenheim owner Dietmar Hopp that forced a stoppage in play, Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich and Joshua Zirkzee – who was making his first Bundesliga start – struck inside the opening 15 minutes and Coutinho made it 4-0 by half-time.
Coutinho doubled his tally early in the second half and Leon Goretzka rounded off a triumph that sent out a message to Bayern's title rivals.
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